The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-10-15
ISABEL'S BUSY DAY.
How Billy Baked and Boil Found
u Husband.

"iNr al lie pretty good afternoons 5
work Of it. said the city boarlcr
You never would have known her
for the elegant young lady that danced
in 1.-THE german at DR.. fay's last
winlcr-fnr the slight girl who took the
part of Juliet in the private thcairic-
ais that were gotten up Ia help build
the new hospital-for the diguiGcd
teacher ia the Middle Grade uf the
Thirdly Grammar School. She wore
Aunt Rhnda'S Shaker bonnet. with a
brown ribbon tied under her chin. n
tiny chccScd shawl crossed on her
breast, aud n dark red calico gown.
buttoucd with sober little circlcts of
mothcr-of-pcarl, and she was seated in
a mud-splashcd country wagon. drv-
ing, probably, the oldest horse in the
county, with an assortment of gray
stone jars and wickcr-liddcd baskets,
packed in wiltcd grass, behind her
For Aunt Rhoda had spraiucd her
wrist. aud Bell Barlow had volunteered
10 drive To Bannport aud carry the
weekly assortment Of farm produce to
the good old lady's customers who
dwclt therein.
"ltll be dreadful accommodation
10 mc. said Aunt Rhoda; "bcCausc the
spring chickens won't bring broilcr
prices after this week. and the eggs
won't never bc no frrshcr; aud the
June buffers packed to the very top Of
the crock, and the Falkncr, use pow
crful sight a. butter. Aud Old Billy.
he won't run ava. nor nothin'. and It's
Jest pleasant days work for spry
gal like YOU. Miss Barlow"
So Isabel Barlow sci forth on thsun-
accustomed task, remembering that
she also desired to match skcin Of
olive green silk, purchase a few postage
stamps. aud buy some chlorate Of pot
ash lozcngcs against next Sundays
solo IN the choir.
And here's the bank-book." said
the old lady, buStling ont after Bell
was safely cuthroncd on the buffalo
robc-coycrel seat. II couldn't give il
10 YOU atorc. because don't want
Ephraim 10 know I've got money out
vt interest. He'd want 10 squnndcr II
all Ia swappin' OK teams and buyin'
lottery tickets. There's twenty dol
lars that Mrs. Timms paid me for the
old red COW. Ephraim don't even
know shes sold lie rcchors she's
out to pasture somewhere. Aud the
ten dollars got for blackbcrlics aud
eld"r-bcrrics. and what you'll gather
together to-day. Miss Bell aud #
you'll bank it, I'll be ever 80 much
obliged. Taint out Of your way, on !
We. .dn't make 50 bold.'
II was long, sutry, summers day
Tho customers were hard tD find aud
difficult to suit, aud the city boardrr
finally concluded that dealings in
"gardcn sass aud truck were not al
together productive of bliss. But il
came to an end at last. and Bell
glanced up at the square stccplc Of the
old Town Hall where glittcring
brass face contained the record Of the
hours. that were marked of by pair
OF monster black hands.
TOO late for banking hours" ,he
said 10 herself IF that old Mrs
Falkncr, who keeps the Mechanics
Boarding House, hadn't detained me
30 long in making change. Well.
never mind. ! shall have Ia take the
money all home again to Mrs. Jcn.
kins"
Better put them bills IN some safe
place" .hrilly cpunsclcd Mrs. Falkncr.
who. being deaf herself, generally adj
dressed other people at the top of her
voice. Its q long ride home through
the Black Swamp for lone woman,
like you, with all that money
a man smoking pipe on the steps
turned to stare at the city boardcr at
these words Two half-grown lads
paused in their discussion Of the base
ball question aud listened. Bell
Barlow felt the color rise uncasily To
her check.
ut is all right, she said. putting the
old leather bank-bOOk. with It's fat in
closure Of bills and small coin. into the
pocket of the madder-red calico gown,
and securing the orifce with deftly
Inserted pin. And she drove away as
fast a. she could. uttering within her
self the eHuliant sentence whcrewith
this chronicle commences.
But Old Billy was tired and stiff. and
Bell found the sunset fading into
twilight while she was yet within the
funereal shade of the Black Swamp. a
dismal stretch Of woods through which
a road hal been built, where two teams
could barely pass. Night birds called
shrilly 20 each other; the wind rustled
mournfully through the beeches and
pines. and old Billy seemed 20 20
slower and more slowly with every
moment.
II hope he isn't going 20 fall dead
lame" though, Bell, with a slight
shuddes. Are those really Jootstep,
behind me. or is IL my inagination'"
She glanced around. A man wa